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IMDbPro

Scared Stiff

  • 19531953
  • ApprovedApproved
  • 1h 48m
IMDb RATING
6.4/10
2K
YOUR RATING
Carmen Miranda, Jerry Lewis, Dean Martin, and Lizabeth Scott in Scared Stiff (1953)
Fleeing a murder charge, a busboy and a nightclub singer wind up on a spooky Caribbean island inherited by a young woman.
Play trailer1:28
1 Video
3 Photos
ComedyHorrorMusical
Fleeing a murder charge, a busboy and a nightclub singer wind up on a spooky Caribbean island inherited by a young woman.Fleeing a murder charge, a busboy and a nightclub singer wind up on a spooky Caribbean island inherited by a young woman.Fleeing a murder charge, a busboy and a nightclub singer wind up on a spooky Caribbean island inherited by a young woman.
IMDb RATING
6.4/10
2K
YOUR RATING
    • George Marshall
  • Writers
    • Herbert Baker(screenplay)
    • Walter DeLeon(screenplay)
    • Ed Simmons(additional dialogue)
  • Stars
    • Dean Martin
    • Jerry Lewis
    • Lizabeth Scott
    • George Marshall
  • Writers
    • Herbert Baker(screenplay)
    • Walter DeLeon(screenplay)
    • Ed Simmons(additional dialogue)
  • Stars
    • Dean Martin
    • Jerry Lewis
    • Lizabeth Scott
  • See production, box office & company info
    • 25User reviews
    • 13Critic reviews
  • See more at IMDbPro
  • Videos1

    Trailer
    Trailer 1:28
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    Photos

    Scared Stiff (1953)
    Jerry Lewis and Dean Martin in Scared Stiff (1953)
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    Top cast

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    Dean Martin
    Dean Martin
    • Larry Todd
    Jerry Lewis
    Jerry Lewis
    • Myron Mertz
    Lizabeth Scott
    Lizabeth Scott
    • Mary Carroll
    Carmen Miranda
    Carmen Miranda
    • Carmelita Castinha
    George Dolenz
    George Dolenz
    • Mr. Cortega
    Dorothy Malone
    Dorothy Malone
    • Rosie
    William Ching
    William Ching
    • Tony Warren
    Paul Marion
    • Ramon Cariso…
    Jack Lambert
    Jack Lambert
    • Zombie
    Tony Barr
    • Trigger
    Leonard Strong
    Leonard Strong
    • Shorty
    Henry Brandon
    Henry Brandon
    • Pierre
    Hugh Sanders
    Hugh Sanders
    • Cop on Pier
    Fred Aldrich
    Fred Aldrich
    • Dockworker
    • (uncredited)
    Danny Arnold
    • Gangster
    • (uncredited)
    Gertrude Astor
    Gertrude Astor
    • Wife of Man with Spaghetti on Head
    • (uncredited)
    Frank Branda
    • Gangster
    • (uncredited)
    Chester Clute
    Chester Clute
    • Man with Spaghetti on Head
    • (uncredited)
      • George Marshall
    • Writers
      • Herbert Baker(screenplay)
      • Walter DeLeon(screenplay)
      • Ed Simmons(additional dialogue)
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

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    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      The previous year Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis had made an uncredited gag appearance in Bing Crosby and Bob Hope's Road to Bali (1952). Hope and Crosby returned the favor with cameos in this film.
    • Goofs
      At the club Mary receives a note from Larry that he can't make the date, she writes on (what looks like a show bill) three words (two on top line one on bottom) quickly scrawled but when we see a close up its written very clearly it reads: "Forgive me for running away-"
    • Quotes

      Mary Carol: Larry, why are you so nice to me?

      Larry Todd: I don't know, I guess I've always been a sucker for girls named Mary Carol.

    • Connections
      Featured in Terror in the Aisles (1984)
    • Soundtracks
      I Don't Care If the Sun Don't Shine
      (uncredited)

      Words and music by Mack David

      Sung by Dean Martin with chorus girls

    User reviews25

    Review
    Review
    Featured review
    6/10
    Dean And Jerry Go To Havana With Carmen Miranda
    Paramount once again rehashes another of their old hits for Martin and Lewis in Scared Stiff. In one respect Scared Stiff is an improvement over The Ghostbreakers that starred Bob Hope and Paulette Goddard back in the day. At least in this one Willie Best is not playing a horrible racial stereotype.

    Other than that and to accommodate Best's role for Jerry Lewis and Hope's role for Dean Martin, it's not too much different from The Ghostbreakers. I have no doubt that producer Hal Wallis dug some of the old Paramount sets for the original out of mothballs for this one. The castle where the last twenty minutes are played looks way too much like the first film to be a duplicate.

    Dino got shortchanged in the vocal department, the original songs by Mack David and Jerry Livingston yielded no hits for him. Jerry does a homage to Carmen Miranda who was around on the set to see it. This film marked her farewell screen appearance and I give her credit in that she doesn't let Martin and Lewis upstage her one bit.

    Dorothy Malone had a small role as a chorus cutie and favorite of gangster Leonard Strong who was the reason why Dean and Jerry were fleeing to Cuba and got mixed up in Lizabeth Scott's troubles. Malone mentioned that she had recently lost a brother and that Dean personally asked she be cast in the part and helped her through the film. She always remembered his kindness. She also said that Dean and Jerry seemed to be quite cool to each other and the eventual breakup was no surprise to her.

    The boys were lucky to have George Marshall who had directed The Ghostbreakers back in the day to also direct this one. If you liked the Bob Hope film, you'll probably like this one.

    It even has an unbilled appearance of Bob Hope with another guy who sang a few songs for Paramount back in the day.
    helpful•5
    3
    • bkoganbing
    • Apr 10, 2008

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • April 27, 1953 (United States)
      • United States
      • English
    • Also known as
      • Paramount Studios - 5555 Melrose Avenue, Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, USA
    • Production company
      • Wallis-Hazen
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Technical specs

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    • 1 hour 48 minutes
      • Black and White

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